Not funny! Dealing with bloating and the host of other digestive issues post gallbladder removal fit into this category. So, your gallbladder ended up at the same farm your parents said they took your pet rabbit too and now you're facing post-gallbladder bloating.
If you are reading this post I am guessing you may have some of the same questions I had about what causes bloating and what steps to take to resolve this issue?
Chapter 1: The Culprit – Bloated Cow Syndrome 101 Picture this: your gallbladder is residing in a medical dumpster behind the hospital, leaving your digestive system to navigate the turbulent waters of bile management as a soloist. Without that trusty green pouch, your body sometimes struggles to process fats which makes you feel like a bloated cow lying in the field on a hot summer day. Not to mention a few other symptoms that are no fun to take on a family vacation.
The cause? A conundrum of undigested fats wreaking havoc in your intestines and creating intense digestive discomfort. In doing some research, I ran across this paper published by the NIH regarding bloating. The following is only the introduction, a lot a of science speak here.
Postcholecystectomy Syndrome Rasiq Zackria; Richard A. Lopez. Last Update: August 28, 2023.
Introduction Post-cholecystectomy syndrome (PCS) is the term used to describe the persistence of biliary colic or right upper quadrant abdominal pain with a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those in patients with cholecystitis prior to cholecystectomy. As the name suggests, this syndrome can represent either a continuation of symptoms caused by gallbladder pathology or the development of new symptoms. The symptoms include fatty food intolerance, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, flatulence, indigestion, diarrhea, jaundice, and intermittent episodes of abdominal pain. Post-cholecystectomy syndrome can present early, typically in the post-operative period, but can also manifest months to years after surgery.
Side Note: I ate this Bull-Frog porridge in Singapore once that was so weird, hot and spicy that my GI tract wasn't right for 3 days; I would eat Singapore Bull-Frog porridge every meal vs. the bloating and painful digestive cramps I experienced post gallbladder surgery.
Chapter 2: Simple Solutions Difficult Implementation In life, I have found that most of our largest problems have relatively simple solutions. By simple, I mean the solutions roll off of your tongue easily and make for great conversation at your coffee clutch.
The implementation of the "simple solution" generally becomes a nightmare.
Sidebar: To drive this point home, I just read this article today in which Warren Buffet (back in 2011) was asked how the US could solve the national deficit problem. He said it could be solved in 5 minutes by the passage of a single law? Basically, the law would state that the federal deficit must not exceed 3% of GDP each year. If it does, every member of congress would be expelled from office and disqualified from participating in future elections. Simple solution to a huge problem. How long before implementation? When Satan starts shopping for North Face winter coats!
A harder hitting more tragic example is someone addicted to drugs or alcohol. Simple solution, very difficult to implement.
So as I have described in several of my blog posts, my simple solution to resolve bloating and all of the other digestive symptoms I encountered post gallbladder surgery came down to simply changing my diet. This change was not without its challenges and was definitely not easy.
Chapter 3: Implementation
To change my diet (simple solution) required me to do something quite difficult. I had to take a hard look at my lifestyle and eating habits kind of like an addict who finally breaks free of drugs by first admitting his problem.
I realized that I was pretty much BSing myself or burying my head in the sand and pretending that I wasn't eating poorly. I craved sugar like a heroin addict looking to score. I tried various diet plans prior to my gallbladder surgery like Weight Watchers, Noom and some other fad things like Apple Cider gummies. The diet plan stuff worked for awhile but eventually I would eat a trigger food and I was right back to coffee milkshakes and oatmeal cookies everyday.
When I tout Wired to Eat by Robb Wolf, it's because this was the first book I had read that not only discussed how to eat healthy, it also covered the concept of identifying and staying away from trigger foods.
These trigger foods were precisely of the variety, high sugar and high fat, that would would exacerbate bloating and all of the other digestive symptoms I encountered post gallbladder removal.
No matter what the weight loss plan was or how faithful I had been during certain periods of my life at staying away from the garbage food, one indulgence in a trigger food and the calorie meter started running! Even the magical cure-all Apple Cider gummies could not stand between me and the Halloween candy bags.
Wired to Eat by Robb Wolf is the book that help me to understand what my poor food choices were doing to my gut and gut health. This had nothing to do with gallbladder removal. With a history of diabetes in my family, there was a good chance that at some point I would have had to clean up my diet sooner or later. Losing my gallbladder had a silver lining!
I completed the 30 day reset in the book and have followed about a 85/15 Paleo to normal diet since that time.
I stay away from trigger foods, basically anything with a lot of processed sugar, and eat as much of the very good fresh satiating foods as I want!
I have experienced healthy weight loss, and my body now preferentially craves good food! The solution was right there in front of me the whole time, even without the book. I just wasn't ready to make a change until Mr. Gallbladder attack forced me too.
Disclaimer: I do not advocate changing anything about your diet or any other behaviors that could adversely affect your health or well being. The goal is to share my personal experiences post gallbladder removal, to aid others in knowing that they are not alone when it comes to digestive and health issues.
The inspiration and much of the content contained within this post is either inspired by or directly taken from one of the best books on the modern diet I have ever read:
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